Thought I'd start a new thread as this is going to be a major talking point this year...have not made up my mind yet...(unlike bucksfizz)....but thinking of voting for an exit as Europe is not doing Britain any good at all it seems....

Standoff Between Catalonia And Spain Heats Up Ahead Of Independence Vote

JACOB BOJESSON
Foreign Correspondent
5:30 PM 09/30/2017

More than 160 schools have been occupied around Catalonia as separatists and the Spanish government are in a standoff ahead of a planned referendum Sunday.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attempt to vote in schools around the region. Police inspected 1,300 out of the 2,315 designated polling station Saturday, with 163 being occupied by separatists. The remaining facilities have been sealed off by police.

The referendum has been deemed unconstitutional by courts, but Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont affirms that the vote will go ahead as planned.

“Everything is prepared at the more than 2,000 voting points so they have ballot boxes and voting slips, and have everything people need to express their opinion,” Puigdemont told Reuters.

Meanwhile, the Spanish government insists “there will be no referendum” and that anyone trying to organize it will face criminal charges, government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said Friday.

The standoff has so far been peaceful, and Puigdemont has called on Catalans to remain calm and not use violence.

“I don’t believe there will be anyone who will use violence or who will want to provoke violence that will tarnish the irreproachable image of the Catalan independence movement as pacifist,” Puigdemont said.

Catalonia has pushed for a legitimate referendum for years. An 80 percent majority backed independence in a symbolic referendum in 2014, which the federal government ruled unconstitutional. Three former officials, including the former Catalan President Artur Mas, were barred from holding public office as a result.

Spain has threatened to suspend hundreds of mayors for backing Sunday’s referendum. Polls suggest that a majority of people want to remain part of Spain while also supporting the vote to settle the issue.

I think we should offer them a free trade deal first thing in the morning just to stir the shit a bit :-)

Dil,

You are OK.

Your honest pals are in the driving seats.

Which way they are are going is a different matter!

Laughable if it wasn't so serious.

width="800"

none of you ranting twits actually knows what is going on behind the closed doors
it must be very wearing having such a permanent erection over this (very important) issue over which we actually have no control

just relax and wait

Manuel.

Stop wetting yourself.

Martini - 29 Sep 2017 20:57 - 7651 of 7658

Informed ... and what might that be Stan?

Don't ask silly questions Martini.

Stan

Humour me and explain please.

Martini,

Opposite to what the tory confusion party is offering.

The only thing the Cons seem interested in at the present time is saving their own a____.


Not unusual and should relabel itself as the party of self-interest.

My word standing up for Corbyn is obscene , the man who lied through his socks and made up promises trying to get elected . Anyway where's your EU heroes responding to the violence in Spain Freda , I thought it was a democratic country Spain , but not a recognised word in the EU wilderness .

So what does the opposite look like Fred. I am keen to learn.

Albania.

I would say Venezuela, below is an extract from a letter to the American media:-

Venezuela has descended into complete and utter chaos as a result of a brutal, socialist government whose citizens are starving under its tightening grip every day.

Make no mistake, this is a humanitarian disaster and socialist policies are to blame. Venezuela's experiment in Marxism began in 1999. With each passing year, what was once one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America became poorer and poorer. What was once a free country, became repressive. Those who tried to reform the failing policies of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela were brutally repressed, imprisoned and even murdered.

Venezuela's current President Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez follow a long list of brutal dictators including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro who are responsible for more than 100 million deaths. Venezuela is now closer to communism than ever. Communism has been tried in more than 40 countries, and each time results in the worst and widest scale human rights abuses known to man.

We, the undersigned, will not tolerate the obfuscating or whitewashing of the crimes of the socialist regime in Venezuela and the actions of their communist ally, Castro's Cuba which now reportedly has thousands of military advisors participating in the violent treatment and murder of unarmed protestors.

Vicky,

I thought you object to EU interference in the legislation of individual states.


But Mariano Rajoy seems as inept as Theresa Maybe and fellow cohorts.

Is he a relation of yours?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


Martini.


You are a clever chap, spend a little time and read some sensible papers.


Try listening to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b096gjjh


Power, the people and the Party

Interesting discussion.

Though it may be a bit adult for you.

Don't think I mentioned interference , but you always look for easy way out .

Vicky.

While you will settle for a pig in a poke or for a poke.

Rather have a beefburger actually .

Sums up some problems!

Catalan referendum shame for EU

Much clear can not be in Spain, though a democrazy is still run by the Facist, from Politics to Sport, another note is PM (M. Rajoy ) is from Galicia the same place as Franco.

Catalan independence referendum: Massive majority votes 'Yes' 90% , regional government says

Catalonia is a wealthy region within Spain with its own language and culture. Should the vote take place, a “yes” vote is likely, given that most of the 40 percent of Catalans who polls show support independence are expected to cast ballots while most of those against it are not.

Hundreds gathered in the centre of Spanish capital Madrid national Spanish flags. They chanted ”Spanish unity” and “Don’t fool us – Catalonia is Spain”. Many balconies in the capital are draped with the red and yellow Spanish flag.

Some sang the Spanish fascist anthem ‘Facing the Sun’, a hymn often played during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.


The pigs are hungry, throw Rajoy to the "stay"

Fred
Yes i listened to that as i do with Radio 4 most of the day. I also take The Mail, The Sunday Times. The Guardian, The Observer and various other hard copy publications.

What i was interested in was your vision and Stan's on what was meant by an Informed Brexit.

O and by the way why do you need to attempt to insult me by the " Though it may be a bit adult for you" comment?

I was hoping you might articulate it yourselves rather than using others words or cartoons.

As I have said humour me please.

He's belittling you Martini , he sees himself far superior to most .